Thanks so much for reading about these great authors. In case you're wondering who I am, I write books for teens. I'm the author of the Latina YA novel, GRAFFITI GIRL (MTV Books, May 2007) a Double RITA 2008 finalist, and the Contemporary Paranormal YA, INVISIBLE TOUCH (MTV Books, October 2008). Please scroll down for more information, and I hope you enjoy the interviews.
Words of an Author with Jennifer O'Connell
Hey Jennifer, as always, great to have you! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Jennifer: I sold my first book, BACHELORETTE #1, in 2003. I had the idea in November of 2002, finished it in January 2003, it sold in February (right around my birthday, a great present), and it was on bookstore shelves in August. It happened very fast. I was spoiled. It’s never been as easy since.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Jennifer: There is no typical. I have a “real job” so I write when I can fit it in.
Please tell us about your latest release!
Jennifer: EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A GIRL I LEARNED FROM JUDY BLUME is a collection of non-fiction essays by women authors of YA and adult fiction. I was about to begin writing my first teen book, PLAN B, and I sat at the computer and thought to myself, “Everything I needed to know about being a girl I learned from Judy Blume.” And so the idea for the collection of essays was born. Because I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt like that. I started emailing my writer friends to see if they’d like to participate and everyone jumped at the chance. When other authors heard about it they started emailing me asking if they could join! I had to say no because I already had so many authors the book could have been twice as big!
Very cool! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Jennifer: I’m working on a teen book (ok, “working on” is generous, I have one chapter).
haha! Thanks for stopping by, Jenny. Would you like to close with another writing tip?
Jennifer: Read a lot. I get my inspiration from reading other people’s writing. It makes me want to write and to become a better writer.
***
Although she's written about a reality dating show, a prescient pastry chef, and a woman who inspired an 80's rock hit, Jennifer has not spent hours dissecting The Bachelor, she can barely follow the directions on the back of a Betty Crocker box, and she can only dream of a long-haired, guitar-thrashing rocker even giving her a second glance.
While she cringes at the thought of being called Jenny again after all these years, her first teen book PLAN B, was published under Jenny O'Connell by MTV Books (March 2006). Jenny's second teen book, THE BOOK OF LUKE, arrived in April 2007, and her Martha’s Vineyard Novels, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS, were published in June 2008.
Her days as a high school senior may be long behind her, but Jennifer did receive her B.A. from Smith College and her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Visit her at www.jenniferoconnell.com/
Words of an Author with April Henry
Hello April, thanks for agreeing to chat. Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
April: In 1992, I finished my first novel. No one I knew had written a book. I was unique! Then I went to a writer’s conference where everyone had just finished their first novel. It took me a couple of years to find an agent. She took my second book on and shopped the hell out of it. I got great rejection letters. I know, because I got to compare them to the rejection letters I got for my third book, which got pro forma rejection letters. Then the fourth book I wrote, Circles of Confusion, sold in three days in a two-book deal to Harper Collins. A four-year overnight success! I hadn’t thought of it as a mystery, but they did, so that’s how I ended up in the mystery and thriller end of the business.
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
April: 6 a.m. Ugh. What’s happening?
6:10 a.m. Husband finally turns off alarm. We both get up.
6:20 a.m. Coffee. Lots of it. Check the news, emails, and post on Live Journal, and sometimes Facebook, Myspace, and Blogger.
7 a.m. Go for a run. Frequent stops while I pretend to “stretch out” or “check my pulse.”
8:15 a.m. Breakfast
9 a.m. I try to get two hours of writing in before lunch.
12 noon Lunch
12: 30 Armed with more coffee, I try to get another hour or two or three in of writing. I also deal with any agent, editor, fans, marketing issues. Since I’ve got two books a year coming out for the next couple of years, there are usually some kind of revisions to make or changes to review.
4:20 Teen comes home from school
4:20 on Late afternoon and evening I say I won’t write, then I often do.
Please tell us about your latest novel, Torched, and what we can expect from your characters.
April: Torched just came out this March from Putnam. When Ellie’s hippie parents are arrested for smoking pot, the FBI sees it as way to infiltrate a group of radical environmentalists. They give Ellie a choice – join Mother Earth Defenders and report back to them, or her parents will go to jail. But Ellie finds her loyalties increasingly tested – especially after she falls in love with Coyote, a green-eyed MEDic.
What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
April: I usually have two or three projects in the works. This month my new adult mystery series with Lis Wiehl launches. The first book is called Face of Betrayal. The second book is already written, and we’re working on our third. My next YA will come out in 2010. The working title is Shadows Walking Backward. It’s about a blind girl who’s kidnapped.
I’m also working on spec on a new YA thriller called The Girl in the Mini Cooper. It’s about a pizza delivery girl who disappears.
Thanks for sharing, April! I wish you the best with Torched. Would you like to close with a writing tip?
April: Never give up. Never. I took writing classes with people who were much better writers than me, but they stopped writing after a few rejections from agents. They were much more talented than I was, but I got published because I was tenacious. Tenacity is just as important as talent.
***
April Henry knows how to kill you in a two-dozen different ways. She makes up for a peaceful childhood in an intact home by killing off fictional characters. April had one detour on her path to destruction: when she was 12 she sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to noted children's author Roald Dahl. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.
By the time she was in her 30s, April had come to terms with her childhood and started writing about hit men, drug dealers, and serial killers. She has published six mysteries and thrillers, with five more under contract. Her books have gotten starred
reviews, been on Booksense (twice!), translated into four languages, short-listed for the Oregon Book Award, and chosen as a Quick Pick by the American Library Association.
April writes for both teens and adults. This month Face of Betrayal will be published. It’s the first in a new series for adult mystery series co-written with FOX legal anaylst Lis Wiehl.
Words of an Author with Jennifer Banash
Hello Jennifer, it's great to have you back! Please tell us about your latest novel.
Jennifer: My latest novel, IN TOO DEEP, is the sequel to THE ELITE, and was just released last month from Berkley Jam! A little about IN TOO DEEP:
If you don’t belong here— you just don’t belong...
The Bramford building’s newest resident and small-town transplant Casey McCloy is adapting to life in the Big Apple and loving it. She’s got the look, the attitude, and a delish new boyfriend, Drew Van Allen. But she’s starting to have second thoughts as to whether the “New York” Casey is the real Casey. And she’s not so sure she likes herself much anymore. She’s not the only one.
Madison Macallister has always had her Manolo Blahniks firmly planted on the top rung of the social ladder—until that corn-fed cow Casey stole Drew away from her and made her look the fool. So what if Madison wasn’t exactly dating Drew at the time? She wanted him. And everyone knows that Madison gets what she wants, like Drew—and a little revenge.
Could you share a bit about the main characters of your book and what makes them unique?
IN TOO DEEP--like all of the books in THE ELITE series, switches off between characters, so there really is no "main" character in the series, which is what I think makes the series a bit unique. The story does revolve around Casey McCloy, who moves from Normal, Illinois to NYC to live with her grandmother for a year in the most lxurious apartment building on the Upper East Side, but all of the characters have their say!
So fun! How did the idea for this novel come about?
Jennifer: IN TOO DEEP is the latest novel in the ELITE series, and it picks up right where THE ELITE leaves off. Without telling you TOO much, all I can say is that the plot revolves around reality TV, and a fantastic sweet sixteen party that makes the ones featured on MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen look cheap :) I was obsessed with reality TV when I was structuring IN TOO DEEP, and since the girls eventually get their own reality show, I wanted to make the structure and plot of the book itself as much like a reality show as I could.
What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?
Jennifer: I hope it functions, first and foremost, as an escape! I know that escapism is half of the reason that I, personally, like to read! But the characters also have real problems--infidelity, cutting, adoption, etc, which I think makes the series interesting. My characters may look perfect on the outside, but their lives are far from it.
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?
Jennifer: I really love Megan Kelly Hall's SISTERS OF MISERY. It's the one novel I read last year that I wished I'd written myself! The characters Kelly Hall has created are simply masterful And it's scary!
***
Jennifer Banash grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and is the author of HOLLYWOODLAND: AN AMERICAN FAIRY TALE. She divides her time between Paris and the Midwest—where she lives with her vast designer shoe collection and her beagle puppy, Sigmund. Visit her website, www.theelitebooks.com/.
Words of an Author with Wendy Toliver
Hello Wendy, its great to have you back on YA Fresh! Please tell us about your latest novel, Miss Match.
Wendy: Miss Match is a Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy that comes out Feb. 10, 2009, right in time for Valentine's Day.
Could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?
Wendy: Sasah Finnegan is a 16 year-old girl living in Salt Lake City, UT. She is smart, funny, and business-savvy, but can't help thinking her older sister (who has the whole beautiful, skinny, popular package) gets all the breaks. Sasha loves fixing people up, from her best friend Yasmin to her own mother, and even starts a matchmaking business.
How did the idea for this novel come about?
Wendy: I’ve always loved fixing people up. I still do! (By the way, if anyone out there is interested in meeting my 29 year-old brother who lives in Orlando or my adorable mom who lives in Denver, leave a comment. Haha) Also, my sister and I have a great relationship and though we might not have always seen eye-to-eye growing up, we always came through for each other like Sasha and Maddie do in Miss Match.
What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?
Wendy: I hope they're entertained, and I also hope they can relate to a heroine who isn't super skinny and gorgeous like so many others. This book deals with topics such as divorced parents, dating parents, body image issues, and sister relationships. I hope they laugh, and I hope they swoon at the romantic parts. It’s a story about making your own happily ever after, which is so important.
Thanks for sharing, Wendy! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?
Wendy: I recommend any of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies. They're funny, romantic, feature strong female protagonists, and are hard to put down.
***
Wendy Toliver lives in the Utah mountains with her three little boys, her husband, and other various wildlife. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in Speech Communication/Broadcast and has had a variety of jobs, from performing singing telegrams to working at an advertising agency. Now a soccer (etc.) mom and the author of The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren and Miss Match (both Simon Pulse), she couldn’t be happier. Well, if she had a self-cleaning house, a Porsche, and an endless supply of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, she just might be a tad happier. Visit her online at www.wendytoliver.com.
Words of an Author with Alyson Noel
Hello Alyson, it's great to have you back with us! Please tell us about your latest novel Evermore.
Alyson: My latest book EVERMORE, is the first in a new five book series and I’m really excited about it! It’s published by St. Martin’s Press and in stores on 02.03.09. The second book in the series, BLUE MOON, releases on 08.04.09, with three more
titles to follow in 2010.
EVERMORE is about a sixteen-year old girl who undergoes a near death experience only to awaken with psychic powers she doesn’t want. And just when she’s beginning to adjust, the gorgeous, exotic, and wealthy Damen Auguste comes to town and turns her entire world upside down . . .
It sounds awesome! Could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?
Alyson: Ever Bloom can hear thoughts, see auras, and get a person’s entire life story by touch. She’s also visited daily by the ghost of her dead little sister Riley. Basically, she’s a sixteen-year old girl who longs to be normal again. Sure that her new psychic gifts are nothing but payback for her role in the accident that caused her entire family’s demise.
How did the idea for this novel come about?
Alyson: Well, a few years ago I lost three people I loved in five horrible months, and just when the dust began to settle my husband was diagnosed with leukemia and it felt like my entire world was crashing down. A year later, when he was in full remission, I wrote SAVING ZOE and CRUEL SUMMER, both of which explore the subject of grief and unavoidable change. But when it came time to write my next book, I realized I wasn’t finished exploring those themes though I wanted to do so in a much different way, by giving the story a paranormal twist and pushing the boundaries between life and death, and EVERMORE just came pouring out of me.
What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?
Alyson: At it’s core, EVERMORE is a story about love, destiny, and forgiveness—with an emphasis on forgiving ones self. I hope readers come away from it thoroughly entertained and maybe even with a different perspective of their own unique place in the world.
Thanks for sharing, Alyson. I wish you the best with this intriguing series! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?
Alyson: There are so many novels I’d recommend for so many reasons, but one that comes to mind is Courtney Summers’s debut, CRACKED UP TO BE. I was lucky enough to get an early read on this one, and thought it was completely amazing! The writing was clean and beautiful, the main character complex—I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
***
Alyson Noël is the best selling, award-winning, author of FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, KISS & BLOG, SAVING ZOE, CRUEL SUMMER, FIRST KISS (THEN TELL)- an anthology, and the upcoming IMMORTALS series including: EVERMORE (Feb 09), BLUE MOON (Aug 09), and three more titles for 2010. Her awards and honors include: the National Reader’s Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Books for the Teenage, TeensReadToo 5 Star Gold Award, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, Reviewer’s Choice 2007 Top Ten, nominated for a CYBIL award, nominated for a Quill Award, nominated for YALSA’s Teen’s Top Ten, chosen for the CBS Early Show’s “Give the Gift of Reading” segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine’s “Hot List” and Beach Book Club Pick. Her titles have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Hungarian, and Romanian. She lives in Laguna Beach, CA. Visit her website, www.AlysonNoel.com.
Words of an Author with Carolyn Jewel
Hi Carolyn, its a pleasure to chat with you! Your latest novel Scandal was just released by Berkley. Please Tell me a little about what inspired your book?
Carolyn: Terror. I'm only partly kidding. Just about all my books are inspired by the terror of believing it isn't working and that, working or not, I won't be able to finish on time. More seriously, Scandal is set during the English Regency period (which was 1811-1820) and I very deliberately drew on my grad school research on a woman who wrote during this time period. Women of the English upper classes had few resources if the men in their lives did not, for whatever reason, fulfill their cultural obligation to take care of their female relatives. Writing novels was one of the few things a woman could do, openly or secretly, to make money. I was astonished to discover that the money a novelist could expect to make in 1815 isn't much different than it is today. The chief difference between then and now lies in the copyright. In 1815, publishers bought the copyright outright. The author was paid once and that was it. Today, authors typically retain the copyright to their work.
Where do you write? Describe your writing space – is it a cluttered mess or minimalist heaven?!
Carolyn: Since my son plays on a traveling soccer team, I am often writing in the car during practice or before games. The backseat of my car is minimalist and I typically get a lot done since there isn't much else to do. During crunch times, I also write in the car during my lunch break. My room, where I do most of my writing (when not in the car) is a cluttered mess. My dog sleeps on the chair tucked behind my back while the cats take turns on my lap.
What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Carolyn: In June, 2009, Grand Central Publishing will release My Forbidden Desire, the second of an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance set in a world that includes mages and demons. Indiscreet will be an October 2009 historical from Berkley Sensation.
Thanks for sharing, Carolyn! What's one piece of writing advice you've found valuable on your journey to publication?
Carolyn: Dorothea Brande's section of Tapping the Unconscious in "Becoming A Writer” which included this warning; "If you fail repeatedly at this exercise, give up writing. Your resistance is actually greater than your desire to write and you may as well find some other outlet for your energy early as late." (79). Alas, I failed miserably and repeatedly at her freewriting exercise. It seems I am a no-talent amateur with delusions of grandeur. I can't explain my ten (counting through the end of 2009) published novels, given this failure. I think I must be a freak of some sort.
Brande's book taught me that writing advice can, and possibly should, be ignored. Writers follow different paths to success and one path is never more valid than another. What works for me may not work for you and there's nothing wrong with that. The point is to actually go out and find what works for you.
***
Carolyn Jewel has been writing stories ever since she could scribble. Now that she's grown up (mostly) she writes historical and paranormal romance because she loves history and imagining the lives of people who lived in years past, and because she's fascinated by the loves and travails of the not-exactly-human in any time period. Carolyn lives in Northern California with her son, three cats, a border collie, several chickens, some sheep and various strays and other rescued critters. Ms. Jewel is also a Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator who specializes in, uhm, administering MS SQL Server databases. It's not nearly as exciting as writing. She loves to hear from readers, so don't hesitate to contact her through her website, www.CarolynJewel.com!
Words of an Author with Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Hello Diana, it's great to chat with you again! Please tell us about your latest novel Adios To All The Drama.
Diana: Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Publishing, January 2009) is the third and final book in my Amor and Summer Secrets series. In it, Mariana Ruiz discovers that the summer fling she thought she left in Puerto Rico, Alex, will soon be coming for a visit. And as her old flame settles into the guestroom two doors down from her, Mariana finds herself conflicted between him and her lingering feelings for her Locker Buddy Bobby.
Additionally, her best friends are of little help as Madison deals with her IM-only “boyfriend” and Emily sinks into secret mode after her parents’ recent breakup. The only relationship that seems to be working is her estranged aunt Teresa who’s tying the knot on New Years Eve with Mariana and her cousin Lilly as bridesmaids. But as the wedding details unfold, one question remains. Who will Mariana kiss at midnight?
Could you share a bit about the main character of your book and what makes her unique?
Diana: As you learn in the series debut, Amor and Summer Secrets, Mariana feels very disconnected from her cultural heritage. She doesn’t feel anymore Puerto Rican than she does Polish. So traveling to Puerto Rico for the first time is a huge culture shock for her. She doesn’t speak Spanish. She spoiled, she’s very close-minded, and she has no interest embracing her relatives.
But ultimately she learns to open up. And that newfound sense of self comes back with her from the island. So you see a very different Mariana in Amigas and School Scandals and Adios to All The Drama. She’s more worldly, more accepting, and eventually more assertive.
How did the idea for this novel come about?
Diana: Well, Adios to All the Drama is the third book in the series. So it was inspired by the two books that came before. However, the first book in the series, Amor and Summer Secrets, was initially inspired by a conversation with my agent, Jenoyne Adams. She had mentioned seeing a recent increase in interest from editors seeking multi-cultural novels, and she asked the infamous question, “Got any ideas?” I didn’t. But by the end of our conversation, I had pitched the story for what became Amor and Summer Secrets.
Part of the inspiration was derived from my first trip to Puerto Rico after I graduated from college. I met my relatives there for the first time, and I got to see where my dad grew up. I wanted to share some of those experiences with my character while showcasing that the stereotypes about Latinas are just that—stereotypes.
What do you hope readers will gain from reading this novel?
Diana: My goal for Amor and Summer Secrets series was to offer a modern-day look at the reality facing many American teenagers who are torn between two ethnic groups. It doesn’t matter whether you’re half Polish and half Puerto Rican, or half Filipino and half Russian, people can relate to what Mariana’s feeling about her ethnic identity.
Additionally, I’m hoping to dissuade some of the beliefs that all Latinas look, talk or act a certain way. Unfortunately, we’re all not Selma Hayak (though I’m sure many of us wouldn’t mind her figure). We don’t all speak Spanish. We don’t all listen to salsa music. Latinas are a very diverse group, and I hope my novels help break some of those stereotypes.
Thanks for sharing with us, Diana! Would you like to close with a novel you highly recommend and why?
Diana: I read a lot of YA. I just finished reading Skinned by Robin Wasserman, whom I participated with on a panel at the Baltimore Book Festival. Though I’m not usually a sci-fi fan, I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the sequel. I’ve also been reading a bunch of best selling authors whose works I hadn’t picked up before, like Emily Giffin, Jodi Picoult, and Dean Koontz.
***
Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s debut novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, is the first in a young adult series published by Kensington Publishing in September 2008. The sequels to the series, Amigas and School Scandals and Adios to all the Drama, were released in November 2008 and January 2009, respectively.
Born to a Puerto Rican father and a Polish mother, Diana has experienced the cultures her characters inhabit, and many of the multi-cultural themes expressed in her novels are based on her personal background.
Diana holds a journalism degree from Boston University, and has worked as a reporter and as an advocate for inner city public schools. Her first novel, Amor and Summer Secrets, sold to Kensington Publishing on Fat Tuesday 2007 while she was at Mardi Gras wearing beads and a feathered mask. She currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband Jordan and her cat Lupi, who was rescued from a shelter in Harlem. Diana enjoys traveling, watching bad TV, reading great novels, practicing yoga and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles. Visit her website, http://www.dianarodriguezwallach.com.
Words of an Author with Teri Brown
Hi Teri, it's great of you to chat! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Teri: Read My Lips is my first sale. I’ve always loved books and I have always written, but it wasn’t until I got online that I found the support I needed to really go for it and try to write professionally. I started in nonfiction and wrote articles and essays for magazines and websites, but I kept writing fiction because that is where my heart is. I wrote a horrible nano chicklit book and tried to get it published. Soon after that I was invited to join a critique group. That was the real beginning of my education, both writing-wise and industry-wise. I made the switch to young adult during that time realizing that my voice was best suited for that genre. Because I have teens and really enjoy that age, that is probably where I’ll stay. Soon after, I signed with Jenny Bent from Trident and she subbed my first YA which didn’t end up selling. Then she subbed Read my Lips. It took eight months before selling to Caroline Abby at Simon Pulse. (Caroline moved and is currently with Bloomsbury),
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Teri: Do I have one? No, sorry! LOL. My life is so busy right now that I am wondering where my writing fits. I write when I can. Let’s put it that way!
I know what you mean! Please tell us about your latest novel Read My Lips and what we can expect from your characters.
Teri: The one liner pitch for Read My Lips is: A deaf skater chick uses her ability to read lips to infiltrate the popular crowd, take down a secret sorority and tame the school rebel. Read My Lips came out last summer from Simon Pulse. And my characters are fairly typical teenagers. What I wanted to show was that a teen with a disability worries about the same things as teens who don’t have the same challenges.
Awesome! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Teri: I do have another project in the works. I have several proposals started but at the moment, I’m working on a book that’s very different and very special. I don’t think I’m going to say anything about it right now except that it is really stretching me as a writer. Which is a good thing…sometimes.
We are in the same boat, Teri! Good luck with your latest project. Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Teri: Get to know your characters. Sometimes what I think should happen doesn’t end up fitting with the people I’m playing with. They always let me know!
***
Teri Brown turned to writing in a desperate attempt to keep from having to get a paying job at her local McDonalds. Fortunately, she's been successful, and her debut young adult novel, Read My Lips (Simon Pulse), came out June, 2008. She is also a contributing editor for iParenting Media, and her magazine credits include Writer’s Digest, Women’s Health and Fitness, Dog Fancy, and Oregon Coast Magazine, among others. Teri lives with her husband and children in a dilapidated 1969 ranch style house in Portland, Oregon. Visit her website, www.teribrownwrites.com/.
Words of an Author with Brenda Janowitz
Hi Brenda, it's great to chat with you! Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale?
Brenda: I was sitting in my office when my agent called me to tell me about it. The whole thing was incredibly surreal and exciting. You spend so much of your time writing and not knowing how the outside world will react to your work. When it finally happened for me, it was just this overwhelming feeling of elation and that Sally Field sentiment of: “They like it! They really like it!”
Readers and writers often like to get a behind the scenes peek of an author's writing routine. It would be great if you could please share your typical writing day schedule.
Brenda: I pretty much just write wherever and whenever I can. Writing is an art, but it’s also a job, so it’s important for me to just buckle down and do it whenever I get a spare moment.
I write on my laptop which means that I can pretty much write wherever I please! I love to write on my couch at home, or, if I’m too distracted, at a nearby coffee shop. A fun thing for me is to meet my writer friends and have coffee or breakfast and then put our laptops on the table and write the rest of the day away!
Please tell us about your latest novel Jack with a Twist and what we can expect from your characters.
Brenda: JACK WITH A TWIST (Engaging your adversary and other things they don’t teach you in law school) (Red Dress Ink, July 2008) is the story of Manhattan attorney Brooke Miller, who plans the wedding of her dreams, all while litigating the biggest case of her career…. which just so happens to be against her perfect fiancé. Hilarity ensues. Really. Marian Keyes called it “a funny, sweet romance” and Carole Matthews said it was “[a]nother fun-filled page-turner from Brenda.” Ironically, I wrote JACK before even getting engaged myself!
Sounds great! What's up next? Do you have another project in the works? If so, please tell us about it.
Brenda: There are a few!!! I’m working on a commercial women’s fiction novel, and I’ve also got a Young Adult proposal brewing. I always have lots of ideas going at the same time! We’ll have to see which one shapes up to become novel # 3.
Thank you again for sharing, Brenda! I wish you the best with your writing! Would you like to close with a writing tip?
Brenda: How about a few tips?
The first is: Keep writing! It’s so easy to get discouraged or feel like you don’t have the time to write. But like anything else that is important in life, you have to work at it and make the time for it.?
Edit! Editing your work is almost as important as the writing itself. Sure, you’re telling your story, but it’s also important to consider the way that you tell it. You want your writing to be tight, elegant and polished. It can only get to be that way through careful and thorough editing.?
Develop a very thick skin. You’re putting yourself out there when you write and not everyone is going to love what you do. But that’s okay! You’re not writing to please everyone out there. You’re writing because you have a story that you want to tell. So start getting used to criticism and then see tip #1—keep writing!
***
Brenda Janowitz has worked as a career counselor at two New York City law schools, where she published a number of articles on career related issues in publications such as the National Law Journal and the New York Law Journal. She currently lives in New York with her husband and teaches creative writing at Mediabistro.
Brenda is the author of the novels JACK WITH A TWIST (Engaging your adversary and other things they don’t teach you in law school) and SCOT ON THE ROCKS (How I survived my ex-boyfriend's wedding with my dignity ever so slightly intact). visit her website, http://www.brendajanowitz.com.
The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit
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